Ironic twist to NW Missouri St/Harding D-II playoff matchup

Steve Wieberg wrote a story for Northwest Missouri State’s athletic website on the Bearcats first round opponent in Saturday’s Division II playoff game. Harding University’s Head Coach Ronnie Huckeba job shadowed legendary Bearcats coach Mel Tjeersdma five years ago to see how the Northwest program prepared for a playoff game and see how the program was built. As irony would have it, Huckeba’s first playoff appearance with the Bisons comes against the team he learned from.

“But it’s just like I told people down here: What better way to judge whether or not you’re ready, playing against arguably the most successful Division II program in the last two decades?” Huckeba told Wieberg.

Steve Wieberg wrapped up a nearly 30-year career with USA TODAY in July. A native Missourian who lives just outside the Kansas City area, he was part of the national newspaper’s original startup staff in 1982. Read the rest of his article on the Harding-NW Missouri State matchup.